Dengue affects '390 million people'

Dengue fever affects as many as 390 million people around the world every year, according to research

Mosquito-borne virus dengue fever affects as many as 390 million people around the world every year, according to a new study.

The study, published in Nature, estimates nearly three-quarters of the world's serious dengue cases are in Asia, with India accounting for around a third (34%) of cases alone.

The Americas - mainly Brazil and Mexico - made up 14% of cases and the findings underline the importance of
medical travel insurance for those travelling to such nations.

For the research, Samir Bhatt of the University of Oxford and co-researchers at the Wellcome Trust used a geography-based method to determine the number of dengue cases worldwide, estimating which countries were most affected.

They conclude around the world, 96 million people a year experienced infections where the condition was so serious it stopped the sufferer from living their normal life.

There were also approximately 300 million mild or asymptomatic episodes.

This compares with the World Health Organization's most recent estimate for overall infections of 50-100 million a year.